Garment-fastener.



' W. J. GALT, Jar, GARMENT FASTENEEHI APPLICATION men MAR. 17, 1915.

1,265,769. Patented May14,1918

'fjfii WITNESSES I A'l-roRNEY omrnn srnrns PATENT orrron.

WILLIAM J. GALT, JR., 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB, TO THE DELONG HOOK AND EYE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATIONOF .IEENNSYLVANIA.

Application filed March 17, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. GALT, Jr., acitizen of the United States, residing in the city and county. ofPhiladelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Garment-Fasteners, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to garment fasteners of a character combining theadvantageous features of construction both of snap fasteners and hooksand eyes.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a garment fastenerincluding ball and socket members which are adapted to be engaged witheach other in the manner of a snap fastener and which maybe readilydisconnected from each other or disassembled when desired. Theconstruction, .how-

ever, is such that when the parts vareonce assembledthey will notaccidentally become disengaged or disconnected from each other, but onthe contrary the greater the force exerted in the general direction ofthe planes of the members andtransversely of the ball of the ball memberthe more firmly and securely will the members remain-in holdingengagement with, each other. Notwithstanding. this advantageous featureof construction whereby when once assembled the strains and vpulls towhich the fastener may be sub jected in use tend really. to moresecurely and firmly hold the parts in engagement, they may be readily,easily and quickly disconnected and disengaged from each other whendesired or as required.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated convenient forms ofembodiment of my invention but it will be understood that changes in thedetails of construction may be made within the scope of the claimswithout departing from my said invent-ion.

In the drawings Figure l is a plan View of the inner sides of the balland socket members of the device; that is, the sides which are face toface with each other when the members are in assembled or engagedrelation;

Fig. :2 is a transverse sectional view of the fastener showing the partsin assembled relation, said view being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;I

Fig, 3 is a sectional View taken on the .line-33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. at is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing Specification of LettersPatent.

GARMENT-FASTENER.

Patented May 1 1, 1918.

Serial No. 14,382.

a modified construction of socket member;

and r Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View of a ball member anda'socket member such as shown in Fig. 4 in assembled relation. I

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, 1 designates the socket orfemale member of the fastener having thread openings 2 ex tendingtherethrough by means of which the said member may be secured to thefabric 3 of a garment in known manner. The socket member is providedwith an opening comprising a circular portion at from which extends aslot or laterally extending opening 5 the outer end of which is circularor rounded as indicated at 6.

The said socket member 1 is also provided with spring prongs or fingers7 which have connection with its outer edge, preferably being integraltherewith. Said spring prongs 7 toward the adjacent portions of the edgeof the circular portion t of the opening when the. ball of a ball memberis being inserted.

In theconstruction of socket member as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 ofthe drawing three spring prongs or fingers are employed but it is to beunderstood that my invention is not limited to a construction having anyspecific or particular. number of spring prongs or fingers as suchnumber may be changed as desired.

For cooperating with the socket member I have provided a ball member 9having thread openings 10 by means of which said member may be connectedwith the fabric 11 of a garment by means of sewing thread in knownmanner. However, both the members 1 and 9 may be secured to the fabricof a garment or other article or object in any other manner or waypreferred.

Both the socket and ball members of the fastener may be strengthened byproviding each of them adjacent to their edges with a bend orcorrugation 12, as shown, but such ferred as my invention is not limitedor restricted to a socket or ball member having corrugations or bentedges or edges otherwise strengthened.

The ball of the ball member which is adapted to enter the opening in thesocket member and engage the sides thereof, as will be hereinafterdescribed, comprises a neck portion 13 and an enlarged or head portionl-l terminating the said neck portion.

In assembling the members 1 and 9 the enlargement or head let of theball is inserted through the opening a, between the opposing bent ends 8of the spring prongs or fingers 7 i 81 which relative movement of themembers 1 and 9 maybe efiected so that the ball member is positionedwith respect to the socket member with the necl: or throat portion 13thereof occupying the slot or Opening lVhen in such position the underside of the enlarged or head .portion 14: of the ball engages the outerside of the member 1 around the edges of the slot or openii-ig 5 as isclearly indicated in lligs. '2 and 3 of the drawings. The depth orlength of the slot or opening 5 should be such that the corner portions:20 of the member 1 situated at the points where the opposite edges notthe slot or opening '5 join the "edges of the circular portion l of theopening engage the under side of "the enlargementor head 1% at pointsbeyond or inside of a transverse plane through the aXis of the ball sothat the pulling strains exerted upon the members in'general parallelrelation to the planes of the mHHlJGTSl and 9 transversely oi the axisof the ball will not be permitted to cause separation of the members.

In other words, a force tending to :tilt the ball of the ball member outof engagement with the opening 5 ii the socket meniberwould merely causeportions of the under side of the enlargedwor head portion 1% thereof tocontact with the enter side of the socket member at the points 20.

it will be seen, therefore that the construction is such that themembers cannot be separated merely by a pulling action thereon indirections generally in the planes of the sochetand ball members 1 and9.

lVhen it is desired to separate the ine1nhers from each other separationmay be readily and easily effected merely by causing relative movementthereof so as to center the ball of the ball member with relation to'thecircular opening *l and the inner ends of the spring prongs or fingers 7in which position the said ball may be readily withdrawn from theopening, the bent portions 8 of the finger receding suliicien-tly topermit such withdrawal in'the same manner as they 'recede when theenlarged or head portion 1 oi the ball inserted intothe said opening.

By reason of the construction in which in use the neck portion 13 of thehead of theball member occupies the slotor opening 5 the inner ends ofthe spring ringers may be so related to each otherand'to the sides ofthe enlargement or head 1% of the ball as to offer but little resistanceeither to the insertion or removal of the ball through thespace betweenthe inner ends of the said prongs or fingers,

In the construction snow-n in Figs. Al and 5 of the drawings, I employa'rball lIllElBbEl 9 having a ball including a neclr :portion 13 and ahead ll, said ball member being identical with the ball unember shown inFigs. 1 to The outer edge of the socket nieniber shown in Figs. and 5 iscorrugated as indicated at 12. The said socket member is provided withan oblong opening 25 into which slots 26, 2 28 and 29 open. The outerends of the said slots terminate in circular openings 30 which may beemployed as thread openings, the thread being used for the purpose ofsecuring the socket "member of the fastener to an article of Wearingapparel or otherarticle or object. The'slots and 29 are opposed toeachoth'er, as indicated, and open into the oblong .opening 25 at aboutthe transverse center for the slots 2-6 and 29 forming therewith, iiextended, acute angles. By so arranging the slots 27 and 28 withrespectitothe slotsflt and 29 relatively narrow tapered portions 31 ofthe body of the ball member are formed which constitute spring fingerswhich bend laterally to rper-niit'the insertion and Withdrawal of thehead bf the ball member into and from the oblong opening 25 of the saidsocket member. head of the ball member has been inserted between thetapering spring portions 31 of the socket member it-inay be rootedforwardly in the said opening into the position indicated in the Figspeland 5 of the drawing. It is held in such position by reason of'theengagement rofthe under side of the head portion with the opposing oradjacent side of the socket member surrounding the portion of theopening to the right hand side of the slots or openings 26 and 29,having reference to Fig. i of the drawings.

it will be seen therefore, that when the ball and socket membersareassembled and are in the relative positions indicated in Figs. l and 5of the drawing the head of the ball member is prevented from tilting outof the portion of theoblong opening in which it is situated by reason-oftheicontact the outer side of the socket member with the head at or nearthe points 32 thereof.

The operation in this respect is substan- After the tially the same asdescribed in connection with the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 ofthe drawings.

It may be noted that the inner ends of the tapered spring portions 31 ofthe socket member are concentric with respect to each other.

It will be seen that I have provided a fastener possessing all of theadvantages as to security against accidental disengagement ordisconnection when once placed in engagement and in use of hooks andeyes but which may be assembled with and disconnected from each otherwith great readiness and facility.

I claim V 1. A garment fastener comprising ball and socket members, thesaid socket member having an opening therethrough one portion of whichis circular and of greater diameter than the largest diameter of theball of the ball member and the other ortion of which opening is ofsmaller diameter than the first-named portion to receive the neck of theball after it has been inserted through the said first-named portion,and spring prongs or fingers which extend inwardly from the outer edgeof the said socket member and around the inner edge of the portion ofthe said opening having the larger diameter.

2. The socket member of a garment fastener of the ball and socket type,said socket member consisting of a thin metal disk having a keyholeshaped opening therethrough for the reception of the ball of the ballmember, and the said disk being provided with spring prongs or fingerswhich project from different points upon the edge of the said diskinwardly over the face thereof and into the larger portion of the saidopening and around the edge thereof, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I. have hereuntosigned my name this 16th day of March, A. D. 1915.

WILLIAM J. GALT, JR.

In the presence of- C. E. KLEINFELDER, FLORENCE DEACON.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

